From selecting the right raw materials to carefully preparing the ingredients, from assembling the

pickles to adding spices and then waiting for the pickle to be finally ready – a lasting memory of
childhood vacations is that of helping our grandmothers make āchār. Those big ceramic jars filled to
the brim with fresh pickles sitting under the sun on terraces evoke memories of carefree holidays. No
meal is complete without a spoonful of the sweet, sour, spicy and mouthwatering Indian pickle.
Here’s a look at its history.

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Known by various names across the country – Uppinakaayi in Kannada, Pachadi in Telgu, Urukai in
Tamil, Uppillittuthu in Malayalam, Loncha in Marathi, Athanu in Gujarati and Āchār in Hindi – pickle
making, as a tradition, goes back thousands of years. According to the New York Food Museums’
Pickle History timeline, cucumbers that are native to India were first pickled in BCE 2030 in the Tigris
Valley.
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The word ‘pickle’ itself comes from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine. But what about āchār;
where did that come from? Although the origin of the word is ambiguous, the word āchār is widely
considered to be of Persian origin. Āchār in Persian is defined as ‘powdered or salted meats,
pickles, or fruits, preserved in salt, vinegar, honey, or syrup.’
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According to Hobson-Jobson: The Definitive Glossary of British India, the word ‘āchār’ finds a
mention in CE 1563, in works by Garcia da Orta, a Portuguese physician, describing a conserve of
cashew with salt which he refers to as ‘and this they call Āchār.’

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